Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Am Heart J 2018 Oct 25;208:11-20. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Cardiology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Elevated troponin level findings among patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or another intercurrent illness undeniably identifies patients at increased risk of mortality. Whilst enhancing our capacity to discriminate risk, the use of high-sensitivity troponin assays frequently identifies patients with myocardial injury (i.e. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2018 Nov 16;211:86-93. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China.

This study focused on the fabrication of a rapid, highly sensitive and inexpensive technique for the quantification of imidacloprid residue in green tea, based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using highly roughned surface flower shaped silver nanostructure (as SERS substrate) coupled with the chemometrics algorithm. The basic principle of this method is imidacloprid yielded SERS signal after adsorption on Ag-NF under laser excitation by the electromagnetic enhancement and the intensity of the peak is proportional to the concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10 to 1. Read More

J Thorac Oncol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Introduction: Approximately 5% of patients with EGFR-activating mutations acquire EGFR-TKIs resistance through SCLC transformation. However, the reason for the poor outcome and the molecular basis of EGFR-mutant SCLC that has transformed from adenocarcinoma remain unclear.

Methods: In this study, we established 2 EGFR-mutant SCLC cell lines from lung adenocarcinoma patients after failed EGFR-TKI treatment to investigate their molecular basis and potential therapeutic strategies in the hope of improving patient outcome. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc., 50 Tice Boulevard, Woodcliff Lake, NJ, 07677, USA.

Exp Neurol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA. Electronic address:

Synthetic cathinones, often marketed as 'bath salts', have been reported to induce an excited delirium syndrome with characteristic symptoms such as paranoid, hallucination and even aggression. 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), is one of the psychoactive ingredients in bath salts. The present study utilized cortical EEG and brain microdialysis in rats to compare the effects of MDPV (0. Read More

Acta Ortop Mex 2018 May-Jun;32(3):134-139

Instituto Allende de Cirugía Reconstructiva de los Miembros, Córdoba-Argentina.

Background: The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Total knee arthroplasty is one of the orthopedic surgeries that manifests more pain in the first 24-48 hours, needing a multimodal analgesic therapy. The objective of this work is to compare two different intravenous analgesic modes applied to patients undergoing a primary total knee arthroplasty, analyzing the quality of pain control, hospital stay and costs. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 Dec 3;12:CD011644. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, Royal Free Hospital and the UCL Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, London, UK.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus that has the potential to cause inflammation of the liver. The traditional definition of acute HCV infection is the first six months following infection with the virus. Another commonly used definition of acute HCV infection is the absence of HCV antibody and subsequent seroconversion (presence of HCV antibody in a person who was previously negative for HCV antibody). Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 Dec 3;12:CD013186. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT.

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are high-risk skin cancers which have the potential to metastasise and ultimately lead to death, whereas basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised with potential to infiltrate and damage surrounding tissue. Anxiety around missing early curable cases needs to be balanced against inappropriate referral and unnecessary excision of benign lesions. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 Dec 3;12:CD013189. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT.

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high-risk skin cancers, which have the potential to metastasise and ultimately lead to death, whereas basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised, with potential to infiltrate and damage surrounding tissue. Anxiety around missing early cases needs to be balanced against inappropriate referral and unnecessary excision of benign lesions. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 Dec 3;12:CD013187. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT.

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management, reduce morbidity and improve survival. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised to the skin but has potential to infiltrate and damage surrounding tissue, while cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and melanoma have a much higher potential to metastasise and ultimately lead to death. Exfoliative cytology is a non-invasive test that uses the Tzanck smear technique to identify disease by examining the structure of cells obtained from scraped samples. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 Dec 3;12:CD013193. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT.

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high-risk skin cancers which have the potential to metastasise and ultimately lead to death, whereas basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised with potential to infiltrate and damage surrounding tissue. Anxiety around missing early curable cases needs to be balanced against inappropriate referral and unnecessary excision of benign lesions. Read More

Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Purpose: Immediate dental implant loading has been investigated with favorable results. However, short implants have not been investigated in this treatment option. This study compared the clinical outcomes and survival rates of immediately loaded short and conventional length dental implants in replacing mandibular molar teeth. Read More

Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new graft material, biphasic calcium phosphate, composed of 60% hydroxyapatite and 40% β-Tricalcium phosphate and deproteinized bovine bone mineral, which is established as a predictable graft material for maxillary sinus augmentation.

Materials And Methods: Maxillary sinus augmentation was performed with different bone materials. Bone biopsies were performed on tissue harvested from the future implant bed using a trephine bur at 6 months after maxillary sinus augmentation. Read More

PLoS One 2018 6;13(12):e0208398. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Neuroepidemiology, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Stroke is a serious threat to human health that often leads to severe complications, and currently ranks first as leading cause of death in China. However, reliable data on stroke burden in China in the 21st century are lacking. We used the data from NESS-China (National Epidemiological Survey of Stroke in China) for assessing the adverse health effects of stroke in Chinese population. Read More

PLoS One 2018 6;13(12):e0208327. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.

Scrub typhus is a mites-borne rickettsiosis caused by the obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi. The disease is potentially life threatening and is prevalent in tropical Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean and northern Australia where an estimated one million cases occur annually. Orientia tsutsugamushi is transmitted by the bite of larval mites in the genus Leptotrombidium. Read More

Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc 2018 11 30;56(4):347-353. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Hospital General de Zona No. 33, Departamento de Urología. Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

Background: The urinary tract infections are the third cause of infections in Mexico. The inappropriate use of antibiotic has generated the presence of multidrugresistant bacteria.

Objective: To identify the bacterial resistance patterns of the hospital and to detect the present comorbidities that can modify the evolution of urinary tract infection for proper empirical management. Read More

Int Braz J Urol 2018 Oct 30;44. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Divisão de Urologia do Centro de Saúde Masculina do Hospital Brigadeiro, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) performed in the prone position (PRON) and in three variations of the supine position.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients that underwent PCNL at our institution from June 2011 to October 2016 in PRON and in three variations of the supine position: complete supine (COMPSUP), original Valdivia (VALD), and Galdakao - modified Valdivia (GALD). All patients had a complete pre - operative evaluation, including computed tomography (CT). Read More

DNA Res 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.

Aspergillus flavus is an important zoonotic pathogen and a well-known aflatoxin producer. Aspergillus flavus strains that are prevalent in Japanese environments are reported to be non-aflatoxigenic, although their aflatoxin productivity, especially among clinical isolates, has not been thoroughly investigated to date. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of ten strains of A. Read More

Hum Reprod 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koc University, Davutpasa, Topkapi, Istanbul, Turkey.

Study Question: Are there any differences in the molecular characteristics of the luteal granulosa cells (GC) obtained from stimulated versus non-stimulated (natural) IVF cycles that may help explain the defective luteal phase in the former?

Summary Answer: Luteal GC of stimulated IVF cycles, particularly those of agonist-triggered antagonist cycles, are less viable ex vivo, express LH receptor and anti-apoptotic genes at lower levels, undergo apoptosis earlier and fail to maintain their estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) production in comparison to natural cycle GC.

What Is Known Already: Luteal function is defective in stimulated IVF cycles, which necessitates P4 and/or hCG administration (known as luteal phase support) in order to improve clinical pregnancy rates and prevent miscarriage. The luteal phase becomes shorter and menstruation begins earlier than a natural cycle if a pregnancy cannot be achieved, indicative of early demise of corpus luteum (premature luteolysis). Read More

JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

The Institute of Health and Community, University of Plymouth and The University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care.

REVIEW QUESTION:: the questions of this review are. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

University of Pittsburgh, Neurosurgery , 3434 Fifth Ave , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States , PA ;

New neuroprotective therapies for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not translated from pre-clinical to clinical success. Numerous explanations have been suggested in both the pre-clinical and clinical arenas. Coverage of TBI in the lay press has reinvigorated interest creating a golden age of TBI research with innovative strategies to circumvent roadblocks. Read More

J Vet Intern Med 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Berne, Switzerland.

Background: Genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical evidence suggests that, in horses, there are manifestations of hypersensitivity that can occur together.

Objectives: To investigate whether concurrent insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and severe equine asthma (EA) is associated with higher allergen-specific and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations than only EA or IBH.

Animals: Healthy control horses (C, n = 40), horses with IBH (IBH, n = 24), severe EA (EA, n = 18), and both conditions (IBH/EA, n = 23) were included. Read More

Saudi Med J 2018 Dec;39(12):1253-1258

Department of Biological Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon. E-mail.

Objectives: To examine the association between beta-globin sequence variations and phenotypes of sickle-cell disease (SCD) complications among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon correlating them with chromatographic readings and co-inheritance with β-thalassemia traits.   Methods: This cross-sectional study included 47 Palestinian refugees aged 4 to 54 living in different regions in Lebanon during the year 2015. Participant filled a well-designed questionnaire. Read More

Saudi Med J 2018 Dec;39(12):1242-1248

Department of Fundamentals, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey. E-mail.

Objectives: To develop a reliable scale that can measure the attitudes of individuals using oral anticoagulant drugs (OACs). Methods: This methodological study was conducted with 296 followed-up individuals using OACs for at least 6 months and visiting the cardiology and neurology clinics of a hospital in Turkey during 2017. A 20-item pool was used to construct the scale and all items were found suitable after content validity analysis and preliminary testing. Read More

Saudi Med J 2018 Dec;39(12):1207-1212

Department of Pharmacy, Sarhad University of Science and IT, Peshawar, Pakistan. E-mail.

Objectives: To identify and compare the prevalence of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in the intensive cardiac care units (CCUs) of 2 tertiary care hospitals and analyze their association with various predictors. Methods: This one-year prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar, Pakistan, between January 2014 to Janury 2015. The patient medication profiles from the respective CCUs were evaluated for potential DDIs (PDDIs) using Micromedex DrugReax and Drug interaction facts. Read More

Proteomics 2018 Dec 5:e1800302. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China.

The spider mite Tetranychus evansi has a remarkable ability to suppress and manipulate plant defenses, which makes it an ideal model to investigate plant-herbivores interactions. In this study, we performed a de novo assembly of the transcriptome of T. evansi, and characterized the proteins in its secreted saliva by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Read More

Diabetes Obes Metab 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School.

Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of saxagliptin and glimepiride in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy.

Materials And Methods: In this 48-week, multi-centre, open-label, randomized, parallel trial, a total of 388 T2D patients were 1:1 randomized to saxagliptin or glimepiride group. The primary endpoint was the achievement of HbA1c<7. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.

Background: Assessment of right ventricular (RV) function remains challenging because of its complex geometry. Application of speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) to the tricuspid annulus provides rapid and automated assessment of the midpoint of the tricuspid annular plane displacement (TAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the value of tissue-tracking TAD for the assessment of RV systolic dysfunction. Read More

Proteins 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Computational Biology Program, The University of Kansas, Kansas 66047, USA.

Structural characterization of protein-protein interactions is essential for our ability to study life processes at the molecular level. Computational modeling of protein complexes (protein docking) is important as the source of their structure, and as a way to understand the principles of protein interaction. Rapidly evolving comparative docking approaches utilize target/template similarity metrics, which are often based on the protein structure. Read More

J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Laboratorio de Farmacología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN), (CONICET-CICPBA-UNCPBA) Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the in vivo pharmacokinetic of ivermectin (IVM) after the administration of a long-acting (LA) formulation to sheep and its impact on potential drug-drug interactions. The work included the evaluation of the comparative plasma profiles of IVM administered at a single therapeutic dose (200 μg/kg) and as LA formulation at 630 μg/kg. Additionally, IVM was measured in different gastrointestinal tissues at 15 days posttreatment with both IVM formulations. Read More

J Neurochem 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Neurology, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

The proportion of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients around the world has increased remarkably. Although many studies of MDD have been conducted based on classic hypotheses, like alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or monoamine neurotransmitters, the mechanisms underlying MDD remain unclear. Aiming to further investigate the mechanisms of MDD, liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was employed to measure target metabolites in the hippocampus (HIPPO) of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model mice. Read More

J Comp Neurol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Spain.

Evolutionary neuroanatomy must integrate two different sources of information, namely from fossil and from living species. Fossils supply information concerning the process of evolution, while living species supply information on the product of evolution. Unfortunately, the fossil record is partial and fragmented, and often cannot support validations for specific evolutionary hypotheses. Read More

J Ultrasound 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Sanggye 7 dong 761-7, Nowon-gu, 139-707, Seoul, South Korea.

Purpose: Recent studies have compared the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the procedure using ultrasound and fluoroscopy. However, there are no published studies comparing the therapeutic efficacy and safety of fluoroscopy (FL)-guided cervical interlaminar epidural steroid injection (CIESI) with that of ultrasound (US)-guided selective nerve root block (SNRB). This study aimed to compare the mid-term effects and advantages of US-guided SNRB with FL-guided CIESI for radicular pain in the lower cervical spine through assessment of pain relief and functional improvement. Read More

Dig Dis Sci 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Finch Therapeutics, Somerville, MA, USA.

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective therapy for recurrent Clostridium. difficile infection (rCDI). FMT capsules have emerged, and it is unknown if delivery location and dose impact efficacy. Read More

Mol Biol Rep 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

Ascites syndrome (AS) is a metabolic disorder that mainly occurs at later ages of meat-type chickens. Despite many research, there is no consensus about the origin of this syndrome. Our main purpose were to investigate the syndrome using both phenotypic and RNA-Seq data to elucidate the most causative factors predisposing the birds to AS. Read More

Biotechnol Lett 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Biotecnología Industrial, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C, Camino el arenero 1227, El Bajío del arenal, 45019, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.

Objectives: Ustilago maydis lipase A (UMLA) expressed in Pichia pastoris was compared with Candida antarctica lipase A (CALA) to study its biochemical properties such as thermostability and selectivity.

Results: UMLA had similar behavior to its homologue CALA regarding the effect of pH and temperature on enzymatic activity, substrate preference and selectivity. Both lipases were active on insoluble triglycerides as well as natural oils and hydrolyzed preferably esters with short and medium acyl and alkyl chains. Read More

Health Econ Rev 2018 Dec 5;8(1):32. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia.

Background: Critical evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and clinical effectiveness of continuity of midwifery care models for women experiencing complex pregnancy is an important consideration in the review and reform of maternity services. Most studies either focus on women who experience healthy pregnancy or mixed risk samples. These results may not be generalised across the childbearing continuum to women with risk factors. Read More

World J Urol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Division of Pediatric Surgery, "Federico II" University of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.

Purpose: This retrospective study aimed to report a multi-institutional experience with laparoscopic and robotic-assisted repair of retrocaval ureter in children and to compare outcome of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with open repair.

Methods: The records of all children, who underwent MIS and open repair of retrocaval ureters in six international pediatric urology units over a 5-year period, were retrospectively collected. Data were grouped according to the operative approach: a laparoscopic group (G1) included five patients, a robotic-assisted group (G2) included four patients, and an open group (G3) included three patients. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2018 4;2018:2439312. Epub 2018 Nov 4.

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Sahmyook University, Republic of Korea.

Background: The monitoring and rehabilitation of pulmonary function can be immensely important for long-term performance of daily life activities in stroke patients. In recent times, smartphone game-based assessment (SGA) has been gaining in popularity as an alternative to laboratory assessments. Hence, the aims of this study were (1) to quantify the reliability and validity of SGA for pulmonary function and (2) to assess the validity of SGA in comparison to spirometry. Read More

Front Public Health 2018 20;6:303. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Of the different types of pneumonia, community acquired pneumonia (CAP), has been identified as the leading cause of infectious morbidity and mortality in the western and developing countries. To eradicate the bacterial cause of CAP, medical doctors) often tend to prescribe a differing cocktail of medicine which may be costly for the health care system. To analyze the cost of oral and/or intravenous antibiotic medicine use in different treatment approaches for treating CAP in adult inpatients from the health care system perspective. Read More

F1000Res 2018 19;7. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University-Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, D-37077, Germany.

Biotrophic fungal pathogens of plants must sense and adapt to the host environment to complete their life cycles. Recent transcriptome studies of the infection of maize by the biotrophic pathogen are providing molecular insights into an ordered program of changes in gene expression and the deployment of effectors as well as key features of nutrient acquisition. In particular, the transcriptome data provide a deeper appreciation of the complexity of the transcription factor network that controls the biotrophic program of invasion, proliferation, and sporulation. Read More

Ecol Evol 2018 Nov 9;8(22):11363-11367. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Department of Paleobiology Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History District of Columbia Washington.

In response to DeSantis et al., we describe that the presence of phylogenetic signal in tooth wear dietary niche proxies is likely a result of the evolutionary process. We also address their concerns regarding enforcement of the use of phylogenetic comparative methods by editors of ecology and evolution journals. Read More

Ecol Evol 2018 Nov 9;8(22):11359-11362. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Department of Computer Science and Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.

A new study by Fraser et al (2018) urges the use of phylogenetic comparative methods, whenever possible, in analyses of mammalian tooth wear. We are concerned about this for two reasons. First, this recommendation may mislead the research community into thinking that phylogenetic signal is an artifact of some sort rather than a fundamental outcome of the evolutionary process. Read More

Ecol Evol 2018 Nov 26;8(22):11134-11142. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Biological and Ecological Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK.

How we measure diversity can have important implications for understanding the impacts of anthropogenic pressure on ecosystem processes and functioning. Functional diversity quantifies the range and relative abundance of functional traits within a given community and, as such, may provide a more mechanistic understanding of ecosystems. Here, we use a novel approach to examine how lepidopteran richness and diversity, weighted by species abundance, differ between habitats under different disturbance regimes (highly disturbed non-native plantations and less disturbed broadleaf woodlands), both with and without constraining by similarity due to shared taxonomy or functional traits. Read More

J Cancer 2018 20;9(22):4223-4233. Epub 2018 Oct 20.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.

Prognosis remains poor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with extrahepatic metastases (EHMs). This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict EHMs in HCC patients who underwent adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) following hepatectomy. Data of 578 HCC patients who underwent TACE after hepatectomy at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital was retrospectively reviewed. Read More

Biotechnol Biofuels 2018 1;11:320. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

1Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 People's Republic of China.

Background: The use of inedible lignocellulosic biomasses for biomanufacturing provides important environmental and economic benefits for society. Efficient co-utilization of lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars, primarily glucose and xylose, is critical for the viability of lignocellulosic biorefineries. However, the phenomenon of glucose repression prevents co-utilization of both glucose and xylose in cellulosic hydrolysates. Read More

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2018 1;2018:3239785. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, No. 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China.

Yin Chen Hao Tang (YCHT) is one of the most famous hepatoprotective herbal formulas in China, but its pharmacokinetic investigation in model rats has been rarely conducted. In this study, the hepatic injury model was caused by intraperitoneal injections of carbon tetrachloride (CCl), and YCHT was orally administered to the model and normal rats. An ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was established to analyze the plasma pharmacokinetics of eight major bioactive ingredients from YCHT in both the normal and liver injured rats. Read More

Front Genet 2018 21;9:569. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia.

is an intracellular parasite affecting respiratory tract of poultry that belongs to class Mollicutes. features numerous variable lipoprotein hemagglutinin genes (vlhA) that play a role in immune escape. The vlhA promoters have a set of distinct properties in comparison to promoters of the other genes. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 21;9:1630. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Team Evolution of Vertebrate Dentition, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.

Teeth and dentitions contain many morphological characters which give them a particularly important weight in comparative anatomy, systematics, physiology and ecology. As teeth are organs that contain the hardest mineralized tissues vertebrates can produce, their fossil remains are abundant and the study of their anatomy in fossil specimens is of major importance in evolutionary biology. Comparative anatomy has long favored studies of dental characters rather than features associated with tooth attachment and implantation. Read More

Front Neurosci 2018 13;12:808. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.

Following spinal cord injury in mammals, maladaptive inflammation, and matrix deposition drive tissue scarring and permanent loss of function. In contrast, axolotls regenerate their spinal cord after severe injury fully and without scarring. To explore previously unappreciated molecules and pathways that drive tissue responses after spinal cord injury, we performed a 4-way intersection of rat and axolotl transcriptomics datasets and isolated shared genes with similar or differential expression at days 1, 3, and 7 after spinal cord injury in both species. Read More